Wisdom's Corner
Lie Down in Green Pastures

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters" (Psalm 23:1-2).

When the shepherd calls the sheep from the sheepfold, they follow him. He will lead them for a short distance and then stop in a green pasture. This is not usually the pasture of final destination. But the shepherd knows that the final destination pasture is a distance away. There may be some climbing necessary to get there. The way may be difficult at times.

The shepherd can see ahead and knows that the sheep need some rest and and food before going on toward the final pasture. He knows that if he takes them on without this brief rest, they will not be able to make the full journey. He might lose some on the journey due to being too tired or too hungry or too thirsty. So even though the sheep are not tired or hungry or thirsty at this point, he stops walking and waits while the sheep rest. While not forcing them to rest, by his not walking ahead, he makes them lie down in the green pasture.

Jesus takes care of us just like the shepherd with his sheep. Jesus knows that the road of our lives gets difficult at times. He can see ahead and knows that we need to stop and rest at times, even if we do not think we need the rest at that particular time. One of the green pastures that Jesus has given us is the worship service on Sunday.

We are told to praise and worship God. This is to give Him the glory He deserves. But the worship service is also so that we can learn more of His word and get refreshed in His word. It is an opportunity for us to feed on the green pasture of the Bible. Many people do not think it is necessary to stop at this green pasture. They think they can make it to Heaven without attending these worship services. But God knows better. He gave us these rest stops for our own good. He knows that without them, we will tire and not be able to make the full journey.

Always attend the worship services. Continue to study your Bible. And if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Mark McWhorter

Copyright 1999

Published by The Old Paths Bible School
(http://www.oldpaths.org)